Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

Aerial view of Apple Park, the corporate headquarters of Apple Inc., located in Cupertino, CA. The roof is covered in solar panels with an output of 17 MW, making it the biggest solar roofs in the world. Photo is taken from a Cessna 172M. (attribution: Daniel L. Lu (user: dllu), presented at: WindermereSun.com)

In China, solar panels are mounted high off the ground to let sunlight shine through so grass can grow and local yaks can eat it. (credit/attribution: Apple Inc., presented at: WindermereSun.com)

(Please click on red links & note magenta)

This week, Windermere Sun is devoting several posts on how some of the individuals, groups, or companies commit to help combat climate change and to create a healthier environment. Back in April of this year (2018), Apple announced its global facilities being powered with 100% clean energy. This was achieved through retail stores, offices, data centers and co-located facilities in 43 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and India. Apple also announced nine additional manufacturing partners committed to power all of their Apple production with 100% clean energy, bringing the total number of supplier commitments to 23.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said, “We’re committed to leaving the world better than we found it. After years of hard work we’re proud to have reached this significant milestone. We’re going to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible with the materials in our products, the way we recycle them, our facilities and our work with suppliers to establish new creative and forward-looking sources of renewable energy because we know the future depends on it.”

Excerpt from Apple’s press release, in italics, from April of 2018, below:

Apple and its partners are building new renewable energy projects around the world, improving the energy options for local communities, states and even entire countries. Apple creates or develops, with utilities, new regional renewable energy projects that would not otherwise exist. These projects represent a diverse range of energy sources, including solar arrays and wind farms as well as emerging technologies like biogas fuel cells, micro-hydro generation systems and energy storage technologies.

Apple currently has 25 operational renewable energy projects around the world, totaling 626 megawatts of generation capacity, with 286 megawatts of solar PV generation coming online in 2017, its most ever in one year. It also has 15 more projects in construction. Once built, over 1.4 gigawatts of clean renewable energy generation will be spread across 11 countries.

Since 2014, all of Apple’s data centers have been powered by 100 percent renewable energy. And since 2011, all of Apple’s renewable energy projects have reduced greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e) by 54 percent from its facilities worldwide and prevented nearly 2.1 million metric tons of CO2e from entering the atmosphere.

Apple’s renewable energy projects include:

Apple Park, Apple’s new headquarters in Cupertino, is now the largest LEED Platinum-certified office building in North America. It is powered by 100 percent renewable energy from multiple sources, including a 17-megawatt onsite rooftop solar installation and four megawatts of biogas fuel cells, and controlled by a microgrid with battery storage. It also gives clean energy back to the public grid during periods of low occupancy.

Over 485 megawatts of wind and solar projects have been developed across six provinces of China to address upstream manufacturing emissions.

Apple recently announced plans to build a 400,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art data center in Waukee, Iowa, that will run entirely on renewable energy from day one.

In Prineville, Oregon, the company signed a 200-megawatt power purchase agreement for an Oregon wind farm, the Montague Wind Power Project, set to come online by the end of 2019.

In Reno, Nevada, Apple created a partnership with the local utility, NV Energy, and over the last four years developed four new projects totaling 320 megawatts of solar PV generation.

In Japan, Apple is partnering with local solar company Daini Denryoku to install over 300 rooftop solar systems that will generate 18,000 megawatt-hours of clean energy every year — enough to power more than 3,000 Japanese homes.

Apple’s data center in Maiden, North Carolina, is supported by projects that generate 244 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy per year, which is equivalent to the energy used by 17,906 North Carolina homes.

In Singapore, where land is scarce, Apple adapted and built its renewable energy on 800 rooftops.

Apple is currently constructing two new data centers in Denmark that will run on 100 percent renewable energy from day one.

To get to 100 percent renewable energy for its own facilities, the company worked to set an example for others to follow. Apple also announced that 23 of its suppliers are now committed to operating on 100 percent renewable energy, including nine new suppliers. Altogether, clean energy from supplier projects helped avoid over 1.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases from being emitted in 2017 — the equivalent of taking more than 300,000 cars off the road. In addition, over 85 suppliers have registered for Apple’s Clean Energy Portal, an online platform that Apple developed to help suppliers identify commercially viable renewable energy solutions in regions around the world.

New supplier commitments include:

Arkema, a designer of high-performance bio-based polymers, which manufactures for Apple at its facilities in France, the United States and China.

DSM Engineering Plastics, which manufactures polymers and compounds in the Netherlands, Taiwan and China that are used in many Apple products, including connectors and cables.

ECCO Leather, the first soft goods supplier to commit to 100 percent clean energy for its Apple production. The leather that ECCO produces for Apple is of European origin, with tanning and cutting occurring at facilities in the Netherlands and China.

Finisar, a US industry-leading producer of optical communication components and vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), which power some of Apple’s most popular new features like Face ID, Portrait mode selfies and Animoji.

Luxshare-ICT, a supplier of accessories for Apple products. Luxshare-ICT’s production for Apple is predominantly located in Eastern China.

Pegatron, which assembles a number of products, including iPhone, at its two factories in Shanghai and Kunshan, China.

Quadrant, a supplier of magnets and magnetic components in a number of Apple’s products.

Quanta Computer, one of the first Mac suppliers to commit to 100 percent renewable energy for Apple production.

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

Below is a repost from one of our sister publications, Windermere Sun:

Sun Rays (credit: Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker)

December 19, 2011- Kyle Travis, left and Jon Jackson, with Lighthouse Solar, install microcrystalline PV modules on top of Kevin Donovan’s town home. (Photo by Dennis Schroeder)

(Please click on red links & note magenta)

The stage is set. The time is ripe. With the cost of both solar and wind having dropped tremendously in the past three years, solar technology having enabled greater efficiency, the incoming Tesla’s Powerwall, Powerpack solving the storage problem, and Tesla’s integrated and cost effective solar roof… the inevitable Solar-Renewable Tsunami is knocking on our door. Astute green investors and lenders could all hear the knock and are ready to finance solar energy projects and fund power developments of renewable-sustainable energy resources. In the U.S., a mix of federal production tax credits and individual state renewable portfolio standards (RPS) are definitely pushing the market. To better understand various policies and incentives for renewables and efficiency by states, please click HERE. For example, state of CA has 187 such policies and incentives whereas state of FL has 77. Of course the incentives of some of the E.U. nations are also fueling the market. But most importantly, it is the simple fact that the cost of solar have dropped so much that it is now a more secure investment than putting one’s money in the bank (bank has a rate of return of about 0.8%-1.1% without inflation protection whereas investing in solar provides a rate of return ranging from about 3% (in AK without any tax credit or incentive, it is 4.4% with tax credit and incentives) to 24.4% (in HI with tax credit and incentives, location-climate-incentive dependent, and this is with inflation protection).

For a simple Solar Investment Payback Formula:

Total System Cost/Value of Electricity Generated/Your Annual Electricity Usage = Payback Time

1/Payback Time = Rate of Return on Investment

This means:

a 6 kW grid-tied system that costs about $10,000 (subject to market fluctuation, excluding fees and incentives)

The average American household uses 10,932 kWh of electricity per year (source: EIA)

They pay an average of $0.12 per kWh for it

Therefore, using American national averages: $10,000 system price/$0.12 per kWh/10932 kWh per year = 7.62 years = Payback Time

Therefore, 1/Payback Time = 1/7.62 =0.13 1 or 13.1% = Rate of Return on Solar Investment, keep in mind that this is with inflation protection (utility bills are always going up).

At this point, I’d like to share with you all a site that had already done the work for you, state by state, Solar Power Rocks., in figuring out the Investment Return (IRR), with consideration of respective state’s tax credits and incentives.

As a result, there are much opportunities for high yielding rates of return on investment in solar as well as other green renewable sources. In the coming decades, there will be so much transformational developments waiting to be planned out and completed. If you have a project ($multi-million project) in mind, with a plan but insufficient funding, please contact me via: info.WindermereSun@gmail.com so Windermere Sun may be able to introduce you and your plan/project to potential investors/lenders. If you are an angel investor, potential investor or lender for solar projects, please feel free to contact me at: info.WindermereSun@gmail.com so we can spread the sunshine globally while saving our planet earth!

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

This is a repost from one of our sister publication, Windermere Sun, below:

(Please click on red links & note magenta)

Tesla Solar Roof (credit: Tesla/Solar City)

Tesla Solar Roof (credit: Tesla/Solar City)

Tesla Solar Roof (credit: Tesla/Solar City)

Tesla Solar Roof single held up by CEO Elon Musk (credit: Tesla/Solar City)

Tesla Solar Roof (credit: Tesla/Solar City)

Tesla Solar Roof single held up by CEO Elon Musk (credit: Tesla/Solar City)

Tesla Solar Roof (credit: Tesla/Solar City)

(Please click on red links & note magenta)

Just weeks after our previous reporting of Tesla/Solar City’s Solar roof, Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated that their Tesla/Solar City solar roof will be cheaper than the conventional/traditional roofing material. Previously Elon Musk said their solar roof would be cheaper, when taking into consideration of the fact that power would be generated from these solar roofs. But now he believes that the cost of manufacturing and installing their solar roofs will be less than the traditional roofs even before taking into consideration of its power generation. Solar City is the largest solar manufacturer and installer in USA. In November of this year, the share holders approved the merger of Tesla and Solar City. Tesla’s solar roofs are expected to hit the market in Summer of 2017.

It’s a no brainer: Tesla/Solar City solar roofs will cost lower, are stronger and last longer, better insulated, and generate power! So when it’s time for you to replace your existing roof or building your roof for the first time, think about Tesla-Solar City Solar Roof!!!

Talk about revolution! Elon Musk continues to lead the charge of this revolution for our Renewable Future!

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

Marshall Pitcairn, Owner of ZEAL Apartment

(Please click on red links & note magenta)

Fellow Solar Enthusiasts, one of our Central Floridians from Oviedo, FL, has taken charge in heading toward our Clean and Renewable Future by starting an Indiegogo campaign. Here is the repost from Windermere Sun, below:

Indiegogo logo

Marshall Pitcairn, Owner of ZEAL (Zero Energy Apartment Living)

(Please click on red links & note magenta)

Even though I’ve mentioned this previously in our post on November meetup, I believe this is an important enough topic that I should embellish upon it: One of our meetup group members, Marshall Pitcairn, a resident of Oviedo, FL, has started his Indiegogo campaign on Friday (Nov.17, 2016) for his ZEAL Apartment LLC. It is a wonderful concept of Zero Energy Apartment Living that would help our world to transition into cleaner and renewable future much more quickly. ZEAL Apartment concept is about quality net-zero apartments as affordable as normal apartments. Marshall Pitcairn is not only being part of the green living revolution, he wants to lead the charge toward our Clean and Renewable Future! Let’s help Marshall to spread the news and heartily support this wonderfully ambitious and meaningful project (email: Marshall@zealapartments.com).

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

(Please click on red links & note magenta)

This is a repost from one of our sister publication, Windermere Sun, below:

(Please click on red links & note magenta)

A terrific presentation by Tony Seba, Instructor in Entrepreneurship, Disruption, and Clean Energy, on explanation for Why Current Energy & Transportation Will be Obsolete by 2030 should not be missed by any one interested in present and future trend! It was presented as the keynote at the Swebank Nordic Energy Summit in Oslo, Norway, on March 17th, 2016. It is based on the book “Clean Disruption of Energy and Transportation“, asserting that four technology categories will disrupt energy and transportation by: 1. Battery/Energy Storage 2. Electric Vehicles 3. Self-Driving Vehicles 4. Solar Energy.

The outcome of the Clean Disruption is such that by 2030:

All new vehicles will be electric

All new vehicles will be autonomous (self driving)

Oil will be obsolete

Coal, natural gas, and nuclear will be obsolete

Individual car ownership will be obsolete

All new energy will be provided by solar (and wind)

EV (electrical vehicles are more energy efficient and more powerful than internal combustion engine, better performance, and fewer moving parts (therefore less maintenance)).

Ford and GM are becoming mobility services companies in addition to EV services. GM is also investing $half a billion into Lyft (Uber’s competitor) and just purchased $1 billion worth of self driving cars company. Foxconn and various computer companies are also getting into EV market. EV (electrical vehicle) companies such as Nissan and Tesla are offering limited free EV charging networks. SV (self driving vehicle) Startup Volta is offering free EV charging in exchange for media rights at prime high-value properties. Ultimately, one may power one’s house with one’s car and vise versa. EV’s and SV’s are essentially Computer on Wheels and Power Plant on Wheel !About half of the world’s population are ready to receive SV’s (self driving vehicles)! About half of Uber rides are carpooling in San Francisco area. Parking spaces will become more efficiently utilized as power plants.

Solar energy has gone down in cost 200 times since 1970’s. Solar installations has doubled every 2 years since 1990’s. It will take 7 more doublings or 14 years before Solar Energy would become 100% of world’s energy. Since 1970’s, Solar PV has improved cost by three thousand times relative to most conventional forms of energy and its cost will continue to go down. Solar energy on roof tops, when unsubsidized, is just as cheap as conventional energy, that is what’s called the Grid Parity (which has already been reached in 47 states in the USA in 2016) and up to 80% of the global market by the end of 2017 (according to Deutsche Bank). The adoption curve of any technology throughout history has taken the form of S curve and will likely be the same for solar technology adoption. The tipping point for Solar to reach its full adoption, commented by Tony Seba, is what he calls the Solar God Parity, the Point of No Return regardless where one is anywhere on planet earth, the cost of producing energy through solar rooftop is cheaper than the cost of transmission. Mr. Seba anticipates the Solar God Parity will be reached by 2020, the point of disruption or tipping point. Utility scale solar in USA and elsewhere on earth, unsubsidized, has dropped to 5 cents/kWh in 2015 in Nevada and in Saudi Arabia at 4.9 cents/kWh. (consider: oil at 5.8 cents/kWh is equivalent to $10 per barrel). Cost of solar continues to drop. This is all happening right NOW!

Further interview with Tony Seba, below:

Can you believe it ?! In USA, we would only need 10,000 sq miles of solar to power the whole country, compared to U.S. oil and gas industry leasing 150,000 sq miles of land and water to pump oil and gas to produce one third of our energy needs. So, in USA, oil and gas industry is using 15 times as much area to generate one third as much energy produced by solar. In USA, we have up to 13,000 sq miles of parking space, so simply by placing solar canopies on all the parking spaces would generate more energy needs for the whole country for a year. Furthermore, converting just 10% of our parking lots to solar canopies would produce sufficient energy to power all of our electric vehicles in USA for a year. Yes, we’re looking forward to an exciting Clean Energy Future! It is important for policy makers to realize that they have the choice either to Lead or to Follow. If policy makers want to create jobs and wealth, it is necessary to lead rather than to follow. So, let’s vote for politicians who will lead and support clean and solar energy.

Here, in Windermere Sun, we look for ways to help our readers/viewers to be better prepared for the transition into our new Clean Energy Age. We will help you to find ways to reduce cost of living and develop new business models and formats in this Clean Energy Age through information and collaboration.

***Google Analytics Summary: Between January 1, 2011-Dec. 31, 2015, there had been a total of 103,431 pageviews with 1,418 best ever on one day. There had been 51,583 users from 6 continents, 196 countries, 7,999 cities, using 164 languages.

(Please click on red for more, below)

*Between January 1, 2011-December 31, 2015, there had been 51,583 users, 26,066 subscribers , and 103,431 pageviews towww.sunisthefuture.net site

* Between January 1, 2011-Dec. 31, 2015, there had been visitors/viewers from 196 countries and 7,999 cities:

is not only the first plant in the world to create a system that produces 24 hour a day electricity using only the power of the sun,it’s also been known to serve as the backdrop for various campaigns to set future trends (e.g.Louis Vuitton, Mercedes Benz and Ford). For the first time, in July (on July 17, 2015) of this year, this desert solar power plant in Spain will showcase the combination of haute couture and high end ready-to-wear collections from the 100-meter catwalk surrounded by circular formation of mirrors.

This spectacular event is organized and hosted by the famous Jessica Minh Anh, who is known for turning the most iconic venues into fantastic catwalks! She is the only fashion show organizer who has gained exclusive permission to some of the most phenomenal venues on earth (such as Grand Canyon Skywalk of USA, Eiffel Tower of France, London’s Tower Bridge of UK, Petronas Twin Towers’ Skybridge of Malaysia, Costa Atlantica of Dubai, or Gardens by the Bay’s OCBC Skyway of Singapore, etc.). Jessica’s status as the global fashion sensation and self-made entrepreneur is solidified by: FashionTV, Canale 5 Italia, Marie Claire, Le Nouvel Observateur, to name a few. She currently resides in Paris, France, and continues to travel the world in hosting her Unconventional Catwalks. Press coverage for Jessica Minh Anh may be found on www.jmodelmanagement.co.uk and her daily update is at www.facebook.com/jessicaminhanhpage .

As Jessica walks down this catwalk on July 17, 2015, the world will take note that Solar Energy belongs to the new generation of the multi-talented, bold, creative, and beautiful, just like Jessica Minh Anh. Plant manager Raul Mendoza Ruiz said, “Gemasolar is an international symbol of the next generation of power plants and represents the future, as Jessica does in fashion.” This J. Summer Show of 2015 will be filmed from various angles, using flying drones to highlight the sunlight’s effect on the stunning circular concentrated solar power plant. With solar energy’s exponential growth pattern, one may anticipate many many more solar power plants of various sizes to be rising up from all corners of the planet earth, be ready to surpass hydropower within a decade. The simple fact that Solar Power Plant may be considered to be used as a fashion catwalk reflects the essence of Solar Energy: it is bountiful, clean, healthy, free from conflicts, and accepted by all. We look forward to more catwalks such as Gemasolar in the Solar Future. We will also look forward to Jessica showcasing solar wearables in the future.

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

Just a quick note to remind you all that Intersolar North America 2015 will take place in San Francisco, Moscone Center, Exhibition between July 14-16, 2015 and Conference between July 13-15, 2015. This is the most attended Solar Event/Exhibition in the United States. 27,000 trade visitors are expected. There will be high caliber conference with renowned speakers and multitude of workshops. It also provides great international marketing opportunity.

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

It is with great sadness that I am sharing this news/press release from CASE (Coalition For Affordable Solar Energy) with you, below:

CASE Responds To Department of Commerce Administrative Review Results

Washington, DC — The U.S. Department of Commerce yesterday announced the results of its administrative review of the 2012 anti-dumping (AD) and countervailing (CVD) duties on imports of solar products from the People’s Republic of China. The final tariff rates set yesterday are comparable to the original rates and are higher than the rates proposed preliminarily in January 2015.

In response to this news, Jigar Shah, President of the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE) released the following statement:

“This determination is another disappointing move toward short-sighted protectionism for the American solar industry.

“The Department of Commerce chose against lowering the tax on solar imports. Keeping these stiff tariffs in place makes solar power less affordable, slows job growth and prevents more American homes, businesses and utilities from switching to clean solar energy.

“Despite booming solar employment, economically counterproductive tariffs have artificially madesolar panels prices in the United States the most expensive in the world. This decision does nothing to correct this imbalance.

“Too much of the solar industry remains embroiled in SolarWorld’s unnecessary, wasteful trade conflict. Uncertainty is sure to continue with more trade litigation, and all solar companies are paying the price. We urge SolarWorld to negotiate a reasonable solution with international manufacturers which can be implemented by the governments of the United States and China. “

CASE is a 501(c)4 organization whose purpose is to educate the Administration, Congress, the American solar industry and the public about the impact of protectionism on the affordability of solar energy and the American workforce. Its primary focus is to show decision, policy, and opinion-makers that the majority of pro-solar Americans oppose the SolarWorld petition, as it will result in the denial of affordable solar energy to a nation whose demand for clean and renewable energy is higher than ever before.

~have a bright and sunny day~

Gathered, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker

Any comments and suggestions are welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com

Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics:

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

Dwelling With The Spirit of Freedom-Ecocapsule (credit: Ecocapsule of Nice Architects)

(Please click on red links & note magenta)

(Please click on red links & note magenta)

In recent years, many people have started to become attracted to the concept of Living Small or Tiny House. A Slovakian design firm, Nice Architects, incorporated concepts of “micro-living”, being “eco-friendly”, and “self-sufficient” and developed the egg-shaped Ecocapsules (some call it ecopod). This design of ecopod can house two people for a year off the grid, with a warm bed,

Ecocapsule interior (credit: Ecocapsule of Nice Architects)

a kitchenette, toilet and shower and work/dining area, running water, and hot food, all powered by 2.6 sq meters of solar panels and a 750 w retractable wind turbine. These small pods are designed to capture, treat (with a built-in filter system), and store rainwater as potable water. These ecopods are 2.55 meters (100.4 inches) high, 4.45 meters (175.2 inches) long, and 2.25 meters (88.6 inches) wide. The fact that these ecopods/Ecocapsules can be towed by a trailer, airlifted, (even be pulled by a pack of animals), or fitted into a shipping container means that they can be transported and used any where on planet earth.

Ecocapsule on a hillside (credit: Ecocapsule of Nice Architects)

Ecocapsules in city atop buildings (credit: Ecocapsule of Nice Architects)

A prototype of the Ecocapsule was on display at Vienna’s Pioneers Festival in May 28-30, 2015, and customised pods will be available from the end of 2016. Pre-orders are expected to open at the end of 2015, with delivery in 2016.

Imagine your future holidays on a beach, gazing or sleeping under the stars, or going camping will take on a different meaning….